


Promises

by mortenavida



Series: The Rogers' Family [12]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Harry and Dudley are brothers, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 19:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14063499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mortenavida/pseuds/mortenavida
Summary: Rooftop talks between the brothers lead to promises.





	Promises

They lay side-by-side on the roof of the building their dad owned in London, staring at the stars that scattered across the night sky. Harry pointed out a few constellations he had learned in Astronomy, but otherwise he let Dudley talk about various things that had happened with their family over the past few months. Not once did he mention school or any friends - now that Harry was looking for it, he noticed.

He turned on his side to watch his brother finish his latest story - one where Natasha and Clint decided to prank Thor into thinking that Bruce was an imaginary person. Their parents had been away again, so it had been just the five of them in the tower with Bruce being none the wiser against the prank.

“…And then Thor got really worried and burst into Bruce’s room and yelled really loud that he didn’t care if he were imaginary because he cared for him and guess what.” Dudley turned to Harry with a grin. “Hulk came out and the two of them had it out because Thor had scared him too much. Pops was so mad when he came back, but dad was laughing.”

“What did pops do?”

“He couldn’t really do anything, and Bruce did say it was harmless fun, so he kind of sucked it up and just told them not to do it again, but I think dad and Clint are up to something.”

“Yeah? And what about you?”

“Me?” Dudley put his hands behind his head, looking back at the stars. “I might help.”

“Do you prank your friends?”

Dudley shrugged. “I guess…”

Harry sighed and sat up, pulling his knees to his chest. “Dudley, what are your friends—”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Harry.”

“Why not?” Harry looked back at his brother, but Dudley wouldn’t meet his eyes. He turned and nudged Dudley with his knee. “Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s boring.”

Harry rolled his eyes and shifted so he could lay his head on Dudley’s stomach. It felt more toned than the last time he was here - his brother must have spent a lot more time with their pops in the gym. Harry held back the urge to run his hand over his own stomach, slightly plumper than before. It didn’t help that every meal at Hogwarts was a buffet.

“Nothing you do is boring to me,” he said once he got comfortable. “Tell me.”

“Harry—”

“Uncle Clint said you snuck someone in the tower. That must have gotten on dad’s nerves because nobody’s supposed to just sneak in like that. ‘Cept Aunt Tasha.”

Dudley was quiet for a long time before letting out a huff. “I know all his passcodes, so do you. Wasn’t hard.”

“So it’s true.”

“It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t talk to me anymore because dad scared him. Asked him a million questions and he thought he was going to get his ass kicked by Iron Man.”

“So…”

“So nothing, Harry. Besides, it’s not like I can get friends like yours to go on adventures with. It’s just middle school with boring teachers and boring kids who are either too afraid to talk to me, or treat me like I’m some kind of prince.”

Harry remembered, what felt like lifetimes ago, when Dudley did act like a prince, when his parents doted on him hand and foot. When Harry was nothing more than a piece of dust they swept under the rug. In a way, Harry missed his Aunt and Uncle if only because that meant Dudley could still know his real parents. Steve and Tony were great and Harry wouldn’t give them up now for the world, but there was always something different about knowing your biological parents.

Dudley must have heard Harry’s thoughts because he dropped his hand to Harry’s hair and tugged it gently. “I don’t miss being like that.”

“Never said you did.” Harry turned over on his stomach so he could look at Dudley. “Are there clubs at school you can join? Maybe you’ll meet some awesome people that way.”

“I don’t want to be allowed in a club just because of my last name.”

“So don’t join the smart ones.”

Dudley shoved Harry, both of them grinning. Dudley still wasn’t the sharpest kid, but he was determined to learn what was put in front of him. Their dad still took him down to the lab sometimes to show him things, Harry following behind with a sketchpad if their pops was busy. Dudley knew his strengths and he played to them well.

“What about robotics club? You’d have to make him promise to stay out of it, but dad could give you pointers.” Harry poked at Dudley’s arm. “Or join a sports team. Wrestling? Aunt Tasha could show you some stuff there.”

“I don’t know, Harry…”

“Make me a promise, Dud?” Harry waited until his brother was looking at him, then he stuck out his pinky finger toward him. “Try new things. If you do that, I’ll try to, what did you call it? Branch out from under the colors of our dad?”

Dudley smiled softly, linking their pinkies. “Gryffindor git. Dad’s still in love with it.”

“I’m sure he is.” Harry turned over to rest his head on Dudley’s stomach again. “Maybe I’ll start a study group in the library. Open to all houses.”

“That’s the pops in you.”

“Yeah…” Harry smiled, watching as a shooting star flew by. “Hopefully nothing worse will happen this year, right?”

“You’re a trouble magnet, of course something is going to happen. Make it vague to our parents, but tell me everything in full detail.”

“You know I always do.”

They sat on the roof until their Uncle Clint came for them, well into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Deviating from the typical flow that I've done with the years so far - still in the summer between year 2 and 3 in the next installment as well. May also dive into Dudley or Harry while they're at school. Seeing where writing takes me. :)
> 
> (I feel bad that these are all short, but I kind of like snippets lately.)


End file.
